New Delhi: Ange Postecoglou has said that Richarlison has been restless to make a comeback to the side after being sidelined for a hamstring injury in November. However, he has been cleared to be available for the North London derby match. Postecoglu noted that Richarlison has been “harassing” him for the last ten days to be brought back to the playing squad.
The 59-year-old stated that it was good to have Richarlison back in the side, who has had a quiet season so far, playing in just seven games across competitions and scoring only once. Postecoglou though was confident in the 27-year-old and noted that he was a quality player along with his fighting and scrapping ability.
🚨🚨 Ange Postecoglou told his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that he saw positive signs on the injury front after a tough few months. Richarlison has not played since he sustained a muscle injury during a 4-1 win over Aston Villa in November is also back in the squad.… pic.twitter.com/t9JthDxsUe
— To The Lane and Back (@TheLaneAndBack) January 15, 2025
The Australian manager felt that having an extra attacking player along with Mikey Moore was always good for the squad and felt that a lot could be done “during and between games”. While his return to the team is a big plus as Timo Werner picked up a hamstring injury during Tottenham’s win over Tamworth in the FA Cup’s third round.
Tottenham and Arsenal’s injury woes
Tottenham came to the draw with just one Premier League win from the last eight Premier League games, which came against the bottom-most team, Southampton. One of the prime reasons for Tottenham’s 12th place in the Premier League is down to the list of injuries which includes Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Coming to the derby, their rivals Arsenal are badly hit with injuries as well with Gabriel Jesus latest to join Bukayo Saka on the sidelines. The Gunners in the weekend lost to Manchester United in the penalty shootout. When asked about how he felt for his opposite number Mikel Arteta, Postecoglou stated that he does have “empathy” as he knows the challenges of leading any team no matter their stature.
Postecoglou further felt that it is the relevance of the injuries and where it has hit a team that remains the biggest challenge ultimately. However, the 59-year-old manager felt that the injuries wouldn’t come in the way of how Arteta takes his team to the field for the derby.
Postecoglou has said that he and his team have monitored him and looking at his training, there remains little doubt that he is match-ready. Postecolgou confirmed that the Brazilian was revving to go and would be happy to have him back in the squad.
Ange Postecoglou is confident that Brazil international Richarlison will be back in the side after being on the sidelines due to hamstring injury since November. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
